Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!  I did get treats for the kids, we don't usually get very many these days.  Yesterday the school kids were all dressed in costumes.  Husband M and I were at McDonald's restaurant in the evening and I saw this cute little girl in a ballgown.  She told me she was Sophia the First.  I also saw Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, and Little Orphan Annie, great costumes.

Paint Party Friday - Halloween

For Paint Party Friday, I did a piece for Halloween what else?  It's on an index card in watercolour pencil.  Have a fun, treat-filled weekend!

Unfortunately

I was planning to attend my friend's husband's 75th birthday party tomorrow night, but she called a couple of days ago to explain that the gentleman had fallen off his toilet after flushing and broken a rib.  Not the best way to celebrate a birthday unfortunately.  He is awaiting knee replacment surgery for both knees next March so it would help explain his loss of balance.  He is also overweight. My friend was at work when it happened so they ended up in emergency that night as he was in such pain.  All they gave him was a light morphine prescription and they are thinking of having the dose increased.

What can I say, I mailed his birthday card and hopefully he can have his party at a later date!

On Homeless Youth

There was a moving article in the paper last week concerning Toronto's homeless youth. It heartbreakingly profiled 5 homeless youth. I was surprised to learn that half of the featured shelter clients are from middle to upper income families. One in 5 are LGBTQ. I learned that youth need different supports. They need basic life skills such as how to rent an apartment, cook, manage finances, and face a loss of family ties. There is a need for long term housing versus emergency shelters. Oh what a world we live in.

Creative Tuesdays - Black Cat

I have not converted to Google+ so am unable to comment on some Google+ blogs, so sorry.


Welcome to Creative Tuesdays!  The theme this week is 'black cat'.  I did a Halloween greeting card on black cardstock in acrylic.  It reminds me of a 'Cats' tshirt from the broadway musical that I used to wear back in the day.

Here's a photo of the card:

A Lovely Weekend

We had a lovely weekend.  Daughter L's boyfriend's family visited.  We went to one of those new escape game places on Saturday and we all had the best time solving puzzles and trying to escape from this room.  We didn't, but went quite far, needing 2 more steps to 'escape'.  Afterward I made this dinner pictured above, it was a mild jerk pork, a warm potato salad, bread stuffing, brussels sprouts, turnips, carrots and a tossed salad.  The pork was perfectly cooked so it was a great meal and everyone enjoyed.

We also cut this delicious ice cream cake that Daughter L and her boyfriend had got for his parents as they have birthdays coming up close to Halloween.  I love these ice cream cakes that have a mixture of both cake and ice cream.

On Sunday we went downtown to see a show called 'Motown' which was very good.  The music was quite loud but it was the life story of Berry Gordy which was very interesting. Unfortunately on the way out of the theatre this large older man using a walker fell going up the steps.  They were trying to decide how best to help him up and out of the theatre.  He was blocking an entire aisle, poor man.

After the show, we went to a restaurant for a nice dinner and packed leftover pizza to take home.  Husband M decided to give the pizza to a couple of homeless young people lying on the street as we walked back to our car.  They were very thankful.

And that was the weekend, a very full one.

Sunday Sketches - Fall Scene

This is a quick sketch of a fall scene done on an index card in watercolour pencil based on a photo I took a few weeks ago.  Happy Sunday Sketches!

Leaves in Shadow

Daughter L has been looking and feeling so much better since she started her sleep apnea oxygen mask treatment. It is a good thing so far. In fact husband M has decided to have a sleep test done to see if he has the same problem. He got an appointment for mid-January next year, the clinics are very busy.

It's time for flu shots once again, do you get yours?  We do.  The pharmacies are allowed to dispense the shots now, so it is convenient.  L usually gets hers done at her workplace.  My sister is taking my mom to the doctor today to get her shot.

Paint Party Friday - Cantaloupes

Welcome to Paint Party Friday, thanks to Eva and Kristin our hosts! I did some cantaloupes on an index card in watercolour pencil for you today. It was inspired by the ones I see in the supermarket flyers at this time of year, bright orange inside and good for you!

The Shift Replacement

Fall Leaves

Son K has interesting days at his part time job where he has worked for years. They employ a lot of students who come and go. There is a pretty girl who gets a lot of attention from the guys (and even from older male customers). She told K that most people would think it is flattering, but 90% of the time it is annoying. She also sounds like a nice, polite girl.

The other day K had to exchange one of his work shifts. He was having trouble finding a replacement as they are a bit short-staffed at the moment. Luckily, this pretty girl was on the shift he wanted replaced so one of the guys volunteered when he realized who he would be working with that day! Needless to say, the girl was not pleased with this replacement as the guy has been texting her a bit too much and she doesn't like him 'that way'.

Ah, the lives of the 'barely-adults'! K is just having a good chuckle about the situation and happy to have his shift replaced. He actually tried to borrow the girl's phone to send the guy a friendly text 'from her', but the girl smartly said 'no'.  So nowadays, 'why doesn't she call me' has become 'why hasn't she texted me?'

Dinner Plans

Daughter L's boyfriend's parents are visiting from out of town this weekend, it's time to start planning for dinner that we will be making Saturday evening.  Daughter L wants to make appetizers and she does a good job of it.  I will roast some pork and make some kind of chicken dish. I am thinking brussels sprouts, turnip, and carrots for vegetables.

Yesterday I took my mom for a routine blood test at the lab.  We are good friends with the technicians now as we used to be there every month until my mom went on a new blood thinner that only requires blood tests every 3 or 4 months.  We walked into an empty lab but the technician told us the crowd had just dissipated (whew!).  Apparently their computers broke down that morning and didn't come up until about 10am.  They had to input all the clients' data manually after the computers came back and it was very tedious work.  We have become so dependent on computers now, we take them for granted until they break.  On the good side, the weather was mild.

Diabetic Clinic

Sunlight on Leaves

Wow, it was such a busy TV night last night.  We had the federal elections, where we got a new Prime Minister with a majority government.  Then there was the Toronto Blue Jay baseball game (they won) and we were also watching The Voice.  Usually I don't even watch TV as I am mostly on my computer.

Husband M is scheduled to attend a diabetic clinic this evening. A couple of sessions were set up by his doctor. It is a 3 hour meeting and he received detailed instructions on what to bring to the 3 hour meeting. He has been doing a good job managing his sugar and pricking his finger every morning. So he has to bring his health card, a notebook, a sweater as it can get cold in the meeting room. He was advised to have his dinner prior to attending and to bring a snack. He has to bring his machine and test strips. They even gave him instructions on the location and where to park. It sounds very organized. I know all this because I picked up the message on the answering machine the other day. They even advised him to arrive 15 minutes early. M should benefit from this education.

A Celebratory Mood

Here's a fall photo I took for you:

It was a cold, sunny weekend here.  I had to put my winter jacket on to go outside.  We are having federal elections today where the country votes for the Prime Minister. We voted in the advance polls last week.  There is also a Toronto Blue Jay playoff game tonight which will compete with the election results!

Son K has successfully completed his field placement, he just has to submit his final report.  He will apply to graduate next summer when he will receive his college diploma.  We are in a celebratory mood for now and it is on to new challenges!  It has been a suspenseful year.

Sunday Sketches - A Country Scene

Welcome to Sunday Sketches, thanks to Alexandra for always hosting.  I have a country scene on an index card in watercolour pencil today.  Have a great Sunday!

Black Rose

I took this photo for you on a walk last weekend. This is the fleeting beauty of early fall before the cold sets in!

Have you ever heard about the black roses from the village of Halfeti  inTurkey?  This video is worth watching if you are curious to see and learn about it.  They are only black in the summer and only grow in this region where the soil (due to the PH level in the river Euphrates) is compatible for it.  It is not really black, but a deep crimson.  Here is an article if you don't like videos.

Paint Party Friday - Another Rosehip

Welcome to Paint Party Friday, thanks to Eva and Kristin for hosting! I did another rosehip piece this week, on (3 1/2" x 5") cardstock in watercolour pencil. I had done a different one for last week's PPF.

Rosehip

Rosehip in the neighbourhood is still blooming:

Did you know that fermented foods can boost happiness?  This would be like yogurt or pickles, they have good bacteria that release good mood chemicals.  Read this article for more  details.

Cheesecake Brownies

Daughter L baked these cheesecake brownies for her company bake sale the other day. She made enough so that we could have some too. They are so good, sigh.

Blogeratti mentioned on his blog about a town called Medicine Hat in Alberta, Canada that has eliminated homelessness.  I thought this was amazing in terms of humanitarian good.  I found this wonderful article that describes more about the intitiative.  Medicine Hat is providing housing for those who need it. The mayor opposed it for awhile but realized the program saves the town money.  Another 'motivation for Clugston's change of heart was a shift in his view of homelessness. Rather than viewing homeless people as too lazy to get a job, he began seeing homelessness as a symptom of both a disease -- mental illness -- and of the stigma faced by those suffering from it.'

Creative Tuesdays - Postage Stamp

Here is my 'Postage Stamp' for Creative Tuesdays. The loons are done on an index card in watercolour pencil. Thanks to Michael for always hosting. A letter to the U.S. really does cost $1.20 Canadian at this time.  The Canadian one dollar coin is nicknamed the 'loonie' after the common loon also pictured here.

And Michael asked if I would make up a story about my ‘Gifting’ piece that I did for Creative Tuesdays the other day. I came up with this everyday life story, non-fiction:

The Gift of a Good Life

I woke up early the morning of my 27th wedding anniversary. For some reason the anniversary was my first thought. I said to husband M lying next to me ‘it’s our anniversary! So where is my gift?’. He says ‘oh, …I can get you one…’. I said ‘I’m just teasing!’. I really was.

The phone rang at around 9.30am. I thought, ‘oh no, not the duct cleaners again’. I noticed from the call display that it was a local number and decided to pick up. It was a gentleman asking for a donation to a charity. It was to support blind kids playing sports, apparently I had donated last year. The words ‘blind’ and ‘kids’ made me decide to give a donation. He thanked me and assured me that I would receive a tax receipt, even better.

As I hung up, I realized this was the perfect anniversary gift, a donation to a worthy cause, on behalf of M and myself.

Soon it was time to run my errands. It was a beautiful fall day, sunny and crisp, the leaves on the trees dappled with sunlight. I could just get away with wearing only a sweater, I didn’t need a coat.

On my way home later on, I noticed a wedding taking place on Main Street. The bride’s beautiful, lacy, white gown glittered in the sunlight and it looked like a happy party. A wedding on my anniversary, what a treat today I thought!

Daughter L came home with a lot of desserts from her company bake sale that evening. She had some little brownies, meringue cookies, gingersnaps, etc. Then we all went out to a nice dinner as a family.

It was certainly a day of ‘gifts’, maybe every day is, if you look hard enough. I am thankful for … not a perfect life, but a good one.

My Pumpkin

So I got my seasonal pumpkin. Hope you are having a wonderful Canadian Thanksgiving weekend!

And have a slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream for the long weekend:

And in the news some brilliant scientists have won the Nobel prize in Chemistry. They are such brilliant people, discovering that cells repair DNA and pointing the way to possibly disrupting cancer cells' DNA repair mechanism.

Sunday Sketches - Pink Sunrise

Welcome to Sunday Sketches! This is a pink sunrise I did on an index card in watercolour pencil and crayon. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Fall Chrysanthemums

It was such a clear night last night, I could see so many stars even though I am in a populated area.  It made me think, we are sure not alone in the universe!  I also thought, 'why wasn't it like this the night of the lunar eclipse/blood moon?'

You will see a lot of chrysanthemums planted around here at this time of year:

Paint Party Friday - Rosehip

It is the Canadian Thanksgiving Long Weekend.  

Welcome to Paint Party Friday! Thanks to Eva and Kristin for always hosting. I did a greeting card in watercolour pencil and crayon inspired by a rosehip bush that was still blooming in the neighbourhood a few weeks ago.

Wedding Anniversary

It is my and M's 27th wedding anniversary today.  We didn't make any special plans, we usually just take things as they come.  The Canadian Thanksgiving Long weekend is upcoming, so we plan to gather with the extended family then.

I've been snapping some fall leaves to share with you today.

Banana Bread for Diabetics

Marie of The English Kitchen pointed me to this Diabetes UK recipes website. I found this banana bread recipe they are featuring. Of course I had to convert the measurements to North American standards but I was very happy with the way it turned out. So one slice works out to be 22g of carbohydrate which would be the equivalent of one and a half slices of bread. It may be less as I didn't use nuts. The recipe uses only half a cup of brown sugar and whole wheat flour instead of white flour. It smelled heavenly while baking, sort of like you were in an old baker shop.  That is one slice I put on top in the photo.  It makes 12 slices, the one loaf.

Here are my converted measurements:

2 large bananas
2 eggs
4 tbs oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2c brown sugar
1c whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

preheat oven to 350F

mash bananas, add eggs. Then add oil, vanilla, sugar. Stir in flour, baking powder, spices. Spoon into loaf pan (I line mine with parchment paper). Bake 50-55 mins.

Dark Calla Lily

My poor daughter L has been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea, she was tested a few weeks ago.  She will get an oxygen mask and she will get good sleep now.  It should also solve a lot of other health problems, it seems everything including stress is connected to getting (or not getting) good sleep. Sometimes she would wake up with headaches or feeling tired still.  Being young is in her favour along with early diagnosis.

Well I was at the grocery store the other day and passed by this dark coloured calla lily. It looked almost black, I had never seen one like it before, how exotic! Have you seen these?

Weekend Brunch

It is time to change into warmer clothes, it is getting much cooler out.  We turned the heat on this Saturday, it was like 12C (54F) and I pulled out some blankets to cover my knees when I sit on the couch.

We had brunch with some friends on the weekend. Husband M had a classic breakfast with whole grain bread. Son K decided on french toast and I had the crab cakes benedict. The food was amazing, much enjoyed. My eggs were nice and runny in the middle the way I like them. We did take 2 challah bread blocks home to enjoy later.

French Toast (challah bread)

crab cakes poached eggs benedict

Sunday Sketches - Pumpkin Patch

Welcome to Sunday Sketches, I did a Pumpkin Patch in watercolour pencil on a little post-it note for you today, in honour of the season! 

Environmental Weed Control

An interesting tidbit, my cousin was telling me he bought a couple of pet guinea pigs for his daughter.  He had read somewhere that they like dandelions.  So they let them out on the lawn and sure enough, they eat them right up!  This is environmental weed control isn't it, how natural can you get?

These are some seasonal photos I took for you this past week or so, it is what it looks like around here lately:

Paint Party Friday - Soaring

Welcome to Paint Party Friday! Thanks to our wonderful hosts Eva and Kristin. This piece is done on an index card in watercolour pencil. It's called 'Soaring', into the sunrise I suppose.

Adventures with Couscous

Well, son K is more than halfway through his field placement, it is going  very well, and quickly.  He is on track to graduate with a college diploma next year.  He missed the October graduation and the next date is July 2016.  The next step will be to find a decent full time job, but one thing at a time.  That is a challenge many kids face after graduation.

I made some dishes with the healthy grain couscous. It's too bad I'm the only one that wants to eat it.
I had some leftover couscous so I tossed it into a soup I was making and noone was the wiser.

Salad with couscous and flavoured tuna

Peppers stuffed with couscous